Science Lab Scholars

Job Description

Opportunity Title: Conservation Science Lab Intern

Reports To: Otto N. Frenzel III Senior Conservation Scientist (Gregory Smith, PhD)

Salary or Hourly: Salary - $18/hr, maximum 10 weeks, 37.5hrs/wk

Year Created: 2026

Short Description

The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields seeks candidates for a full-time, onsite summer internship in the Conservation Science Lab.  The internship supports early career learning in cultural heritage chemistry through routine laboratory analyses and participation on projects involving Arts-based scientific research and/or technical studies of collection objects.

Detailed Description

The Conservation Science Lab Internship is a 10-week summer position intended to provide a supportive learning environment for undergraduate or graduate students with an interest in cultural heritage chemistry.  The Intern will be embedded in the daily work of a busy conservation science facility that serves a diverse clientele of internal and external museum professionals including curators, conservators, designers, and educators.

Working alongside the Senior Conservation Scientist, visiting sabbatical faculty, and lab volunteers, the intern will assist with routine scientific service work, help in the maintenance of the lab facility, prepare reports to record lab findings and activities, and engage with the public through outreach opportunities.  The intern will participate in ongoing research projects as needed, but they will also spend time performing routine tasks like custodial and maintenance duties, chemical inventory management, spectral library generation, and data curation. 

Opportunity Overview

• Become immersed in the busy daily life of the Conservation Science Laboratory while serving the scientific research, curatorial, and/or conservation needs of the museum.
• Investigate artworks using state-of-the-art scientific instrumentation and prepare analytical reports to share with museum staff.
• Connect to the collections you analyze by gaining a deeper understanding of the history of art through collaborations with curators and conservators.
• Use online and library research skills to support your analytical tasks and present your findings within the wider field of artists’ materials
• Prepare mock-ups and simulacrums using the laboratory’s extensive collection of reference materials.
• Become experienced in proper art handling techniques in order to work directly with collection objects and to take samples from artworks for analysis.
• Develop your writing and speaking skills to present complicated scientific information to diverse audiences including non-scientists and the public.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate appropriate laboratory technique and safety practices
• Ensure a neat and safe work area that protects artwork in the lab
• Maintain an accurate and thorough laboratory notebook

Required Skills

• General familiarity with chemistry, the scientific method, scientific ethics, lab record keeping, standard laboratory techniques like weighing and pipetting, and analytical instrumentation.
• Commitment to academic rigor though report writing, publications, data curation, and presentations
• Good oral and written communication skills

Educations and/or Experience

• In progress toward an undergraduate (BS or BA) or graduate (MS or PhD) degree in chemistry, biochemistry, physics, geology, or another scientific discipline
• Intern must be either a resident or citizen of the United States
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States

Physical Demands of Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of that that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/ or move up to 45 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the position. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; the fellow will be required to work safely with chemicals, radiation, and solvents; the workspace has sufficient natural and artificial light; lighting levels vary in intensity depending on artwork present.